Chapter 9
Naruto was bored out of her mind as she sat in front of the hokage with Gaara, Temari and Sakura. Sasuke was downstairs getting the cursed hickey he had gotten from Orochimaru under control. She planned on checking it out and seeing if she could defuse the seal.
If she could examine the seal long enough and understands what makes it tick she can either remove it completely or at least place it in Sasukes full control.
She also had to make a seal to get Shukaku to shut up. As things are currently, she made a separate mind-scape for the two bijuu to do as they pleased however it left her with a headache as they did so.
Whatever Gaara had done earlier is what really caught her attention. It was as if he had sucked Shukaku from her and back into himself. If she could understand that, she might be able to get better control of having the bijuu talk to her.
“So… all in all… everything pans down to Naruto wanting to take you all to the hot springs forest, and that was when things went south due to Shukaku but Gaara over here fixed that all up, correct?” the way he said it made Naruto think whether or not the old man had either smoked too much or perhaps had too much sake.
I am more inclined to believe he had something bad to smoke. Or perhaps everything just became an overload for him.
What up Kurama? How’s it goin’?
I am fine despite being locked inside you for the next few days… is there no way for you to release me for the day?
I can try… once this meetings over I’ll ask if I can be excused for a short while and release you. I’ll come back at dinner time to collect you or do you think you can make it back to the tower by yourself?
I am more than capable of making it back and if I don’t you can always force me back.
There is always that option. So, when do you think we’ll get a chance to do some fighting?
She tuned back into reality, deciding having done what she needed to do, and only paid attention when the sandaime said it was okay for them to leave. He also stated it was okay for everyone to leave the tower if they so pleased just as long as they were back by the evening of the fourth day. If they weren’t back in time for the matchups to be decided then they would be disqualified.
She walked besides Temari as they made their way through the corridor back to their rooms, Gaara standing on Temari’s other side. “So, did you guys have a specific time you wanted to go to the forest? We can go any one of these days or we could go once this round has finished.”
Temari grinned as she repied, “Well, I think it’d be better to go after this round. If that’s alright with you?”
“That’s great dattebayo! Also I was wondering… Gaara!” the red head only gave her a glance in the corner of her eye but that was all she needed to know he was listening at the very least. She moved to stand in the middle where Temari previously was, her arms behind her back as she spoke, “First I wanted to say thank-you for whatever you did to get Shukaku out of my head. Bastard is currently killing my head but I’ve managed to shove him in this corner. The second thing I wanted to say was if I could have a look at your jinchuriki seal and see if there’s anything I can do to give you better control. If not then could I have like a picture of it so I can work on it?”
Gaara’s and Temari’s footsteps faltered slightly, clearly not thinking that would be the next conversation the blonde bought up, “… how do you know of those seals?”
She gave him a flat look, clearly not understanding why he would ask her such a question but answered nonetheless, “My father was the yondaime hokage who was known for his hiraishin. Fair enough, it belonged to the nidaime but he was known for using it a lot more. My mother was an Uzumaki who taught him about seals. Knowing that, it made me very curious about seals and Uzushiogakure was the nation that sealed the tailed beasts away in the first place.”
“Gaara?” asked Temari tentatively. “How about you let her have a look at it and then we can take a picture and let her study it further? It would be highly beneficial if you could control him. At the very least, you should be able to sleep a lot better.” Said Temari before she furrowed her brows and looked to the blonde, “You didn’t by any chance do something to help Gaara sleep have you?”
Naruto gave a nervous laugh and scratched the back of her head, “Yeah… I placed this small seal on him by a bird. I placed a seal that would move onto the largest chakra source when it landed. Gaara, thankfully was who it landed on. It’s mostly a suppressant so you can’t hear his gender bent murmuring.”
Gaara blinked and Naruto saw he was debating on whether or not he should thank her or kill her yet he was saved from having to decide on which one to do, “On behalf of my socially constipated brother. Thank-you for helping him, I know he won’t do it himself. Is there anything we can do to repay you for your kindness?”
“Speak to your brother about my perks and what the benefits would be from dating me?” her eyes twinkled as she gave the taller blonde a wink.
Temari ginned as she threw her arm around the Uzumaki, “You and I are going to be great friends. I will most definitely do that. Do I get to mention this?” she gently poked at her stomach, making sure Gaara didn’t notice.
She gave it a thought before shaking her head, whispering to her, “No. I’d prefer he either figure it out himself or I tell him. No one in Konoha speaks of it whilst foreigners are here for fear of something I don’t care much to remember.”
She peeked behind to have a look at Gaara who was walking a good distance from them. “How do you have control over the nine tails?”
She looked back at Temari as she replied, “Well… that’s a long story but to shorten it lets say I merged my chakra with the nine tails’ chakra and that’s how we got where we are today.”
“Hmmm… you know… despite that seal you placed on him he isn’t too keen on sleeping. He enjoys sitting on rooftops in the evening if you catch my drift.” She gave Naruto a wink as an extra clue causing a large grin to find its way on her face.
Naruto nodded, contemplating the different things she could have meant. “You never did get round to guessing what I specialised in, by the way.”
Temari jerked, as if just realising it as she scrutinised the young blonde, “Well… you’re the ward of the sandaime hokage and daughter of the yondaime hokage… so I’d have to say diplomacy.” She said it with such finality and certainty that Naruto was unable to hold back her laugh.
Whilst she was being trained on diplomacy and other lessons a kage specializes in, that was not what she specialized in. it took her a minute to calm down and when she did, Gaara was leaning against the wall as he stared off into mid-air.
“Actually, I specialize in seduction. Though I am being trained in-”
“Wait what?!” yelled a wide eyed Temari. That seemed to be the most emotion she had ever seen from such a stoic person. Then again she was used to ruffling peoples feathers it shouldn’t be surprising anymore.
She could feel Gaara’s gaze on her yet she chose not to look at him yet as she spoke to Temari, “Well… it made sense to me. Not many women choose that field of work yet it’s something that can come in handy with my diplomacy. My team as a unit are a frontline attack team so I won’t be used for infiltration unless it’s highly necessary. I have great sensory abilities to do that however there’s another girl in class who would do better for that.”
She thought of Hinata or Ino. Both had great figures and personalities that were good for infiltration. Ino was best as she would work in the information’s unit, using her womanly wiles could get people to respond better.
She finally looked at Gaara and somehow he managed something she never thought was humaly possible. His eyes looked cold yet they were burning with… something. It made his teal eyes hard yet they also sparkled. With eyes like those, that look should be illegal as if caused her heart to skip a beat.
Temari was pacing two steps as she looked and pointed between Naruto and the end of the corridor where they had met the sandaime, stuttering out, “B-but you- his- they- hokage- seduction- diplomacy-”
Gaara seemed to disapprove as he glared at his sister, “That is enough Temari. You are making a scene worse that when Konkuro started to flirt with her.”